Մկրտչյան Ս., Զատիկ և Համբարձում տոները (1920-1930-ական թթ.).-ԼՀԳ, 2019, թիվ 3

The press was filled with anti-religious articles which even denied other ethnic and paganic parallels with Christian holidays. This attitude of intolerance was conditioned by the fact, that for the new ideologists not only Easter and Ascension with its clergymen were considered as enemies, but also the pagan models of these festivals with their pagan priests, who were also considered as "exploiters of working class".

The certain disregard was particularly emphasized on Easter, which they tried to replace with Komsomol and Red Easters. As a result of the closure and demolition of churches, the main religious ceremonies of these festivals were gradually diminished (liturgy, sacrament, pilgrimage, sacrifice and etc.). There were some cases, when under the pressure of the government the villagers refused the services of the clergymen during these days.

However, some traditional components of Easter and Ascension still continued their existence, from ritual meals, games to beliefs, immolation, the remembrance day of the dead.

This rejection and mocking of these festivals are also reflected in Soviet poetry and folklore. If the disregard for Easter was very obvious, in the case of Ascension, traditional songs were sometimes transformed from the rituals of youth into praise of young Bolsheviks, Komsomol members or collective farmers.

Key words – Revelation of Jesus Christ, Easter, Ascension, allotment, jangyulum, soviets, beliefs.